Ok, it won't, I lied.

It will cause huge panic throughout the world, "what the hell do we do now"?

Well once the world's earth supply of oil is dry scientists engineers me you and everyone will be searching for alternative solutions to oil. Hopefully finding a solution very quickly. At the moment in time no-one is feeling the effects of there being no oil left in the world so not many people are searching for alternatives.

Once there is none left, then we find the alternative.

This is actualy true. Its been proven over and over again that mans peaks of ingenuity come during times of grave need.

If oil were to be zapped away from us, we'd have to go cold turkey and all the alternative means of capturing and storing energy would surface.

Problem I see though is that the way the worlds economy works, energy is the key currency. Nothing else. So when oil is gone, you can be sure that the rich and powerfull will introduce a new energy source that will still give them bucketloads of money instead of devising cheap or even free energy alternatives.

Its not really oil thats the problem, but the global mindset of man.

[edit on 2/11/05 by thematrix]

I agree thematrix, people who own oil have power over those who don't. When it runs out the people who own the new 'oil' will have power over those who don't.

Originally posted by phixion
I agree thematrix, people who own oil have power over those who don't. When it runs out the people who own the new 'oil' will have power over those who don't.

Unless the regular person can learn to be self-sufficient. With a Peak Oil situation possibly looming, it is pertinent for people to investigate for themselves the means to provide those basic needs that we would be deprived of should the oil dependant economy, society, or infrastructure collapse.


Scientists are searching now for alternatives, but as mentioned, the most valuable innovations and discoveries are likely to happen when there is the added impetus of the implications of Peak Oil to battle against. Then again, many believe that the oil and energy companies already have the next thing, and are milking oil for every penny before initiating a major switch.

Originally posted by phixion
Ok, it won't, I lied.

It will cause huge panic throughout the world, "what the hell do we do now"?

Well once the world's earth supply of oil is dry scientists engineers me you and everyone will be searching for alternative solutions to oil. Hopefully finding a solution very quickly. At the moment in time no-one is feeling the effects of there being no oil left in the world so not many people are searching for alternatives.

Once there is none left, then we find the alternative.

While what you say is probably true oil will be the main power source for the world economy for at least another fifty years and likely very much longer than that. Scientist have come up with many many cheap alternatives that would make oil only efficient in a few countries. The fact that your power supply is not in your bedroom closet as were speaking has nothing to do with what is scientifically possibly and everything to do with what governments can and will do to keep people dependant and slaving away all day.

Stellar

Originally posted by phixion
I agree thematrix, people who own oil have power over those who don't. When it runs out the people who own the new 'oil' will have power over those who don't.

Very true I fully believe when the time comes Big Oil will simple become Big Hydrogen and be as powerful as ever. Its going to take alot of money to change to a different energy infrastructor.

And with single quarter profits like 9+ billion USD Big Oil will have the money to do it.

Originally posted by ShadowXIX

Originally posted by phixion
I agree thematrix, people who own oil have power over those who don't. When it runs out the people who own the new 'oil' will have power over those who don't.

Very true I fully believe when the time comes Big Oil will simple become Big Hydrogen and be as powerful as ever. Its going to take alot of money to change to a different energy infrastructor.

And with single quarter profits like 9+ billion USD Big Oil will have the money to do it.

Don't forget the important fact that the high oil prices is directly related to the fact that the US controls the currency in wich oil is traded and that ever higher oil prices is one of the few things that is keeping the US economy from going under....

Stellar

Originally posted by phixion
Well once the world's earth supply of oil is dry scientists engineers me you and everyone will be searching for alternative solutions to oil.

Alternative solutions already exist, the only reason they are not being implemented is because of the oil lobby and the fact that our government cares more about special interest groups that it does about it's people.

1. Build a network of nuclear power stations, going for today’s models can produce over a quarter more energy for the same amount of waist as a power plant built in the early 80's.
2. Use wind to produce the electricity needed to turn water into hydrogen through electrolysis. As the wind doesn't blow constantly it is a bad source for domestic energy but great for creating hydrogen which be stored before being used in fuel cell cars.
3. Aim to turn almost all sewage into methane to help meet domestic gas needs. Also try and organise a collection system for bio-degradable waist from refuge collection maybe even industry as well. Examples being battery pig and chicken farms, also supermarkets (our store waists over £30,000 worth of food a week alone).
4. And yes there's always coal (even though that's many more times more polluting than oil because of the higher ratio of carbon per unit of energy available from the fuel).

5. If the government thought all the above was "too much like hard work" maybe they could plough more money into nuclear fusion research. This could be done by spending less money blowing the hell out of Middle Eastern countries (Israel aside why we if these places are out of oil?).

What amazes me is that the first 4 points could all be done right now. They would not mean we "go third world", or even have our taxes raised much, if at all. The financial cost would next to nothing and all it would mean is a change in policy yet would lead to security of energy supply and near zero carbon emissions.
Maybe the problem is because too many people are still against the big bit (nuclear energy) but even the 3 other points are hardly pie in the sky (bits of the city Perth in Australia already collect garden rubbish for compost and bio-gas).

Originally posted by ShakyaHeir
Alternative solutions already exist, the only reason they are not being implemented is because of the oil lobby and the fact that our government cares more about special interest groups that it does about it's people.

Well how sure are we that they are the problem? Who REALLY benefits by a general population depedent on oil? I think that if we could get worthwhile people into government ( who tries to do what is best for us and not themselves) our unnatural dependence on oil might very well be exposed for the sham it is.

I think it's still best to assume a self interested government making decisions that suits them to some extent....

Stellar

It will cause panics, but maybe it will provide people with a slap in the face of reality that NON-RENEWABLE MEENS NON-RENEWABLE.